First Kiss
by peachesandpapayas
Summary: How does eleven year old James Potter deal with being caught under a sprig of enchanted mistletoe? Oneshot.


**First Kiss**

Christmas at Hogwarts was always beautiful. The glistening icicles, the glittery snow that blanketed the grounds, the frozen over lake, the multi-coloured tinsel which decorated the many tall, green trees positioned in every corner of the castle and the enchanted ceiling in the great hall which kindly projected the majestic wintry snowfalls of mid- December.

James trudged along the corridors feeling content and warm inside despite having spent two hours outside, in the below freezing temperature engaging in an ultimate Gryffindor snowball fight with his three, relatively new best friends. Sirius, Remus and Peter had decided to stay out for a bit longer and James probably would have too if it wasn't for his detention with Professor McGonagall for letting out a dung bomb in the staffroom that prevented him from doing so.

His parents had described the castle countless times for him as a child but James knew as soon as he came into view of Hogwarts, that unless you saw the sight yourself, no description could possibly match up to the real thing.

Filled with thoughts about how he really did not want to go back home in a week after having the best four and a half months of his life, it wasn't a surprise that James never noticed the giggling around him or the fact that the said giggling was directed at him.

Finally snapping out of his reverie, James looked around him curiously. People seemed to find him extremely amusing and he didn't know a fig why. James didn't like to be humiliated, no, _he_ was the one who was supposed to do the humiliating, and playing pranks was _his _job- so why did he feel like he was caught in the middle of someone else's ?

Feeling a tap on his shoulder, James turned to his side to face a boy with quite a round face and dark brown hair. He knew the boy was at least a few years older than him, and he was certain he knew his name…what was it? Hank Bottom?

The boy leaned into him and whispered in his ear,

"Some of the fifth years thought it would be funny to enchant mistletoe. Look up."

Feeling thoroughly confused, James looked up to see, as the boy said, a sprig of floating mistletoe. But at the same time, he didn't see why people thought enchanting some mistletoe to float above someone's head was worth a laugh. Dung bombs and fanged Frisbees _were_, not some Christmas decoration.

"So? How's that funny?" James asked the boy feeling slightly irritated at the stupidity of the older years.

Rolling his eyes, he replied, "_First years_, it means it's not going to go away until you kiss a girl. Good luck kiddo," the boy patted him on the back and left.

The colour instantly drained from James' face. _Kiss a girl!_ _Ewwww_. Maybe he could go to Remus and Sirius and ask them to help get rid of it- they were pretty good at charms or maybe he could go to a teacher and ask them for help….James wouldn't under any circumstances kiss _a girl_, no way. He would rather pick death then kiss _a girl._

James ran to an empty corridor, away from all the sniggering and tried to assess his options, he made a list in his head.

1) He could go to a teacher….but what if the teacher told him there was no way to get rid of it but kiss someone and everyone _knew_ going to a teacher for help is _beyond_ embarrassing- it would ruin his reputation.

2) He could ask for help from his mates….But Sirius would never let him live it down- that would ruin his reputation too.

3) He could ask a girl to kiss him….and risk getting an infection…that would ruin his reputation as well!

4) He could jump off the astronomy tower…but that would mean he wouldn't live to find out what his parents got him for Christmas that year.

James was getting desperate, he mentally made a note to himself to do the very same prank on Snivellus later so he could suffer the same pain he had to. James could nearly, almost feel the tears in the back of his eyes and that was saying something since James never, ever, ever cried. Ever.

(Well he did let out a little tear after saying bye to his parents at the beginning of term, but he wiped that real quick, no-one knew so that didn't _actually _count)

James was still pacing the corridor when he heard footsteps round the corner. Stopping In his tracks, he hid himself in an alcove when he spotted the person.

She was in his year and in his own house, he knew her quite well- she was the girl he annoyed during the train ride to Hogwarts. Her red hair and vibrant green eyes were all too noticeable, even from where he was.

Lily Evans was walking briskly as she travelled passed him, not even noticing there was someone else besides her in the corridor. The small girl was just about to bend the corner when James realized he had no other hope left.

"Stop!" he shouted, just in time. The girl snapped around to face him, a surprised look painted her face before a rather dirty one overtook it.

"Oh it's _you_ again- what do you want this time?" she asked with a haughty look about her.

"Uhh…well…you see…" he stuttered as he caught up with her, how was he supposed to phrase this? And why did the only girl that didn't like him have to be the first that walked by?

"Well?" Lily said impatiently, tapping her right foot rhythmically. James was sure his face was getting redder by the second, knowing no words were going to come out of his mouth, he simply pointed to the mistletoe still floating above his head ( even after spending ten minutes trying to charm it off)

"Why have you charmed mistletoe to hang above your head? Is it so everyone will notice you or something? It's not funny by the way, it just looks silly," she said pointedly in reply.

"I didn't charm it! Someone in fifth year did! And Hank Bottom said it wouldn't go away till someone…till someone _kissed _me" James said this all very fast and made a point of whispering the word "kissed" as though it was a bad word.

"Hank Bottom? You mean Frank Longbottom? He's in third year by the way and it's not nice to make fun of other people's name," Lily said, completely disregarding the second part of his sentence. Why was this girl so difficult?

"I wasn't making fun of him! I just forgot his name and it doesn't matter anyway because I need the mistletoe to go away before I get made fun of even more so…so… ineedyoutokissmeplease," James said, cutting to subject quickly. The quicker, he got through with this, the quicker he could leave and forget about the whole ordeal.

"What? You shouldn't mumble you know, mum says that's impolite," she said in a bossy tone.

"I don't care what your mum says! I need you to kiss me so the blasted mistletoe will go away!" James said loudly before realizing what he just let out of his mouth and proceeded to redden at an alarming rate.

Silence.

This was it. James was sure he would have to transfer to some dark place like Durmstrang if he ever wanted to achieve something from his life. The embarrassment of this situation was too much to ever make a place in Hogwart's society.

What if he never made the quidditch team next year? And that would mean he would never get a shot at becoming captain for the Gryffindor squad!

All because of this stupid, stupid mistletoe- his life was going to down the drain.

"Ewwww….why me?" Lily finally said, blushing slightly but also looking fairly horrified. James' hand flew to his hair due to his nervousness, he was feeling extremely hot and bothered.

"Pleeeasse, I have no other choice! Please! Tell you what- I promise…I promise…I'll help you with your transfiguration homework because you were finding that difficult and everything and I'm quite good, I mean…I'm alright at transfiguration," James said in desperation, also trying not to sound too arrogant when he was describing his amazing talent in McGonagall's subject- he knew Lily was really sensitive about stuff like that.

"How did you know I was having trouble with the homework?" How did he know that? James questioned himself.

"Uhh….I just did I suppose, so will you help me?"

More silence.

Feeling like he was getting no- where, James started to apologize,

"Look, I'm sorry, I should-"

"Fine, I'll do it- but, but only because that homework was really hard," Lily said after a lot of contemplation on her part.

"Really! You will?!" James said excitedly, realizing he might have a shot at getting into the quidditch team now that this whole incident would be over soon.

"Yes but only on the cheek," she replied and James nodded in agreement. Hank Bottom said Kiss, he didn't specify _where._

"Okay, let's count to three," James proposed and Lily nodded.

"One" they counted together.

"Two"

"Three"

James felt a warm and rather soft pair of lips peck him on the cheek before it left a second later. Extremely red in the face no doubt, he turned to face Lily whom he noticed was as red as a tomato too.

"Well? Did it work?" Lily queried. Looking up above him, James noticed the mistletoe was still floating serenely above him.

Groaning he faced the girl in front of him who looked equally as disappointed.

"What do we do now?" James said before burying his head in his hands.

"I think I have to kiss you on the _lips_" Lily replied, whispering the last word.

Both first year's faces distorted into expressions of disgust at the prospect.

"Will you do it please?" James said in his most innocent, angelic voice he could muster as he peered through the crack of his fingers. Lily visibly straightened, he noticed her puff her chest out and put her hands on her hips.

"We need to stop being babies about this, we're in Gryffindor and besides mum and dad kiss all the time and it's not like they've died or anything. Get your face out of your hands and let's get this over and done with- Mary's probably wondering where I am right about now," she said this all in a commanding way, as if she was ordering soldiers to get up and fight for a war.

Taking after her example, James removed his face out of his face and bought himself to his full- rather short height. (He may not have hit his growth spurt yet but at least he was still taller than Lily)

"Let's count to three again, ready?" she said.

"Yes," James said bravely.

"One" they counted again.

"Two"

"Three"

But James didn't feel anything as he noticed Lily had backed away; she was facing the wall opposite from her.

"I can't do this Potter, I'm too young, I'm not ready yet- you understand right?" Lily said as her head was bent down facing the ground, in shame and worry.

"Please Evans! You don't have to tell anyone- it'll be our secret and besides, I'm going to have to kiss _someone_ otherwise people will laugh at me forever. Pretty Please! I even said I'd help you with your transfiguration homework or if you want I'll give you my chocolate frog box my parents sent me this morning." James was truly worrying now- what if he never got rid of the mistletoe?

He'd be forever known as mistletoe boy- that was even worse than being called Snivellus! (Well…it was _nearly_ as worse, James thought Snivellus was pretty bad)

"Chocolate frogs? I love those!" Lily said hopefully as she turned around to face him again.

"So you'll do it?"

"If you give me all the chocolate frog cards you owe as well- only then."

"What?! But then Sirius will win the, 'Who's collection is biggest' competition! I've spent years collecting those- no way Jose" James said confounded.

"Nope- it's a price you'll just have to pay for taking away my innocence," Lily replied cleverly. Realizing the truth in her words, James decided to agree.

"No you're right- okay then you get all my chocolate frog cards." James sniffled at his sacrifice. He'd have to tell Sirius he accidently dropped all his cards in the fire and that was how they all went missing.

"And transfiguration homework help" Lily added.

"Yes and that too," the things a boy had to give up to get one kiss, James thought.

"Can we count _down_ from five this time? I promise I won't back out this time," Lily asked coyly. Nodding, James started the count down.

"Five" they started once again.

"Four"

"Three"

"Two"

"One"

BANG!

Well that's not what actually happened, rather it was James' expectation- but in reality…it wasn't all that bad. Lily's lips felt quite…nice, but of course he couldn't tell her that.

James felt kind of awkward too because his hands were dangling at his sides and so were Lily's but three seconds later they both pulled away.

"EWWWW!" they both screamed simultaneously, pretending that the experience was the most disgusting thing they had ever had the misfortune to do even though they both secretly knew it wasn't really.

After a few more minutes of prancing about, pretending Snivellus' slime had rubbed off on him, James stopped his act after he noticed Lily had been silently staring at him for ages.

What did he say now?

"It wasn't that bad was it?" Lily asked quietly, James probably realized he may have been slightly offensive the way he was exaggerating so much so he quickly amended himself.

"No of course not! It was nice, I mean you didn't smell or anything, I mean your lips were soft, I mean you didn't taste like Snivellus not that I've ever kissed Snape or anything but…" James was really getting himself into a knot.

"Okay! Okay! Let's just never talk about this again. I really need to go now and the mistletoe seems to have fallen…so…ummm…bye," Lily said before scurrying off.

James spotted the sprig of mistletoe on the ground and thanked merlin he wouldn't be dubbed "mistletoe boy"

Quickly glancing from side to side and noticing no one, James picked up the sprig, smiled and put it in his robe pockets. He didn't know the reason why, perhaps it was because he secretly didn't want to forget his first kiss.

Patting his pocket, James left the corridor to find his friends- he wasn't ever going to tell them what happened though. Sirius, Remus and Peter would laugh at him for the rest of his life- that was for sure.

And just as the young boy left the vicinity, an elderly man with an impressively long beard and a middle aged woman whose hair was tied up in a tight, constricted bun stepped out from behind a floor length tapestry.

"I cannot believe we stood through the whole of that Albus," Professor McGonagall said, smiling slightly despite herself.

"Ahh but we couldn't possibly interrupt a perfect example of young love" the old man replied light heartedly.

"Young love? Albus, they're both eleven and looked as if they'd been hit by the plague," Minerva replied looking at the man beside her in equal confusion and disbelief.

"Perhaps they will invite me to their wedding," Albus said wistfully.

"I sincerely hope you're joking," Minerva replied looking at Albus as though he had grown an extra head.

"I would never joke about such things although now that you mentioned it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag and a leprechaun who all go into a bar…"

"I suppose Potter will have forgotten about his detention," McGonagall muttered.

"What was that Minerva?" Albus asked kindly.

"Nothing, nothing, do continue," she replied.

* * *

Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore was certainly not surprised when six years later the Head Boy and Girl started dating, or when he was invited to their ultimate wedding- for he knew from that fateful day on that the two innocent students were meant to be.

James Potter however was eternally grateful that he kept the enchanted mistletoe because the second time Lily and him kissed, was under the very same sprig in seventh year and again every Christmas they lived through after that.

END.

* * *

**A/N: Hope you enjoyed my first ever fic/one shot.**

**I'm not sure whether eleven year olds in the 1970's were that innocent or whether the way I portrayed them was even realistic but I hope you found it cute/ funny.**

**Tell me what you think through a review- I would greatly appreciate it :) **

**Until next time**

**~ peachesandpapayas **


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